A Change In Me
by Just-Met-A-Girl-Named-Maria
Summary: Javert reaches the inn before Valjean and takes Cosette away from the Thènardiers. But why all of a sudden does his hardened heart start to melt when this child comes into his life?
1. Chapter 1

_Hello Les Miserables fandom! This is my first ever Les Mis fic! I was watching the movie the other day and got the idea: What if Javert had gottenn to the inn before Valjean? What would he do with Cosette? Also I will be cast in this musical soon so I'm in a very Les Mis mood. Enjoy and please leave reviews and tell me what you think!_

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"Where is the child Cosette?"

Javert stood tall and proud from the waist up on his horse. His professional posture and uniform would have shrunken anyone who dared pester him.

"Cosette!" the thin, dirty lady standing in the doorway screamed behind her. "Cosette! Now!"

Javert listened and heard the tiny pitter-patter of little feet rushing down a flight of stairs. He slid off his horse and tried to look past the woman.

"Yes ma'am?" said a tiny voice.

"Come here," the woman said. Suddenly, a tiny body had appeared in the doorway. Javert didn't know that a human being could be so tiny. Her limbs looked like twigs, and her hair was knotted so that it looked like a bird's nest. Diamond blue eyes popped out from behind her matted hair. She was holding a bucket that looked bigger than half of her body.

"What's she done?" the woman said, pulling on the child's ear, causing her to drop her bucket.

"She hasn't done anything," Javert said, watching with anger as the child winced in pain.

"Oh?" the woman said, releasing Cosette's ear.

"Are you taking me away?" Cosette said in such a small, timid voice, it was nearly a whisper. Her eyes lit up with hope.

Javert shook his head, trying his best to ignore the awful disappointment on the girl's face. "There's a convict on the run by the name of Jean Valjean. He's on his way to take Cosette," Javert explained. "I plan to arrest him when he arrives, and then you may go on with your day,"

"Alright then," the woman said. "Alright Cosette, back to work,"

"Please do not send me out alone," Cosette begged. "Not in the darkness on my own - "

"Enough of that!" the woman snapped. Cosette flinched and jumped back. "Or I'll forget to be nice. You heard me ask, and I won't ask again. Go,"

Cosette nodded tearfully and picked up the bucket, which seemed to be too heavy for her, despite the fact it was empty. She walked past Javert and looked up at him and stared him down with her sad blue eyes, then continued walking towards the wood.

"Where is she going?" Javert asked.

"She's getting water from the well like she was told," the woman said, turning to go back inside.

"By herself?" Javert said.

"Yeah," she replied, continuing to go back inside. Javert watched as the little girl went farther and farther into the wood.

He wasn't sure what overcame him, and he never would be, but something made him run. He ran toward the wood and caught up with Cosette. She gasped and dropped her bucket and ran behind a tree.

"I won't hurt you," Javert said, his voice still sounding authoritative and intimidating. "Come out of there,"

Cosette shook her head and quivered, desperately clinging to the tree.

Javert bent down to her level. "Do those people mistreat you?" She nodded. "Do you get fed?" She shrugged. "So they don't feed you much, do they?" She shook her head. "Do...do they hit you?"

"Only sometimes," she said quietly, staring at the ground. "But it doesn't really hurt anymore,"

Javert's heart stung. Why was he all of a sudden having these strange feelings? What had this girl brought out in him?

"Do you want to leave, Cosette?" Javert asked.

Cosette's eyes filled with the same hope he had seen before, and she nodded, a smile breaking out on her dirty face. A tiny smile tugged at Javert's lips, but he quickly put his mask of authority back on.

"Come with me," he said. Still smiling, she ran out from behind the tree. She was still quite intimidated by this strange police officer, so she kept her distance behind him. But any person who would take her away was a friend of hers.

When they were once again standing at the front door of the inn, Javert knocked on the door, and Madame Thènardier came to the door.

"Hello sir! Caught the man have you?" her eyes then fell on Cosette and she frowned. "Your bucket's empty,"

Cosette flinched and hid further behind Javert. He cleared his throat.

"I haven't caught him yet, but I've come here with Cosette to tell you that she will be leaving,"

"Leaving?" the woman said. "Why is she leaving?"

"It was her mother's last wish that she live in a kinder environment," Javert said. Although he was just planning on leaving her there, something had taken over his head for a second, and before he knew it, he had already promised that he would take her away. Surely some orphanage would take her?

"Her mother's _last_ wish?" the woman said.

"She passed away," Javert said flatly.

"Oh!" Madame Thènardier said quite tragically. "Oh my! The poor woman!" She whisked a handkerchief from her bosom and blew her nose loudly.

"Oi!" her husband, the innkeeper shouted. "What's all the ruckus?"

"Oh!" the woman gasped again, dragging her husband to the doorway. "Dear Fantine…she's…she's passed away!"

"Oh?" Thènardier said, quite uninterested. His eyes then fell on Javert, and he slapped on his mask of hysteria. "Oh! Oh the poor woman! Oh!"

Javert rolled his eyes at the pathetic scene before him. He glanced down at Cosette, who was looking up at him, her eyebrows raised with confusion.

"This poor child…Colette! Come!" Thènardier stretched out his arms.

"Cosette!" his wife corrected him under her breath.

"Whatever," he mumbled. He kept making gestures for Cosette to go to him, but she simply shook her head and further hid herself behind Javert.

"Oh, do sit down, _Monsieur_," the woman put her arm around Javert and pushed him inside. Behind them, Thènardier was dragging Cosette inside by the arm. Madame Thènardier sat Javert down and her husband sat down in a chair and placed Cosette on his lap. The two of them began petting her and kissing her, all the while Cosette looked absolutely disgusted. Javert again rolled his eyes.

"Now let me explain," Javert said. "Since her mother is no longer able to care for her, she no longer has a legal guardian. Therefore, she belongs in an orphanage, unless of course you would like to adopt her," Javert added, knowing very well they would never do such a thing.

"Adopt her?" Madame Thènardier scoffed. "No need for that! We've already treated her like our own!" she planted a kiss on Cosette's cheek, and Cosette violently shook her head.

"Well, I have the law on my side, and if you don't adopt her, she must be taken away," Javert said, now determined to get Cosette out of this place.

"What a gem! What a pearl!" Thènardier said, stroking Cosette's hair. "Beyond rubies is our little girl! You can't take her away!"

"We haven't got the money to raise another child," Madame Thènardier said.

"Well then I'm afraid she must come with me,"

"Oh!" Madame Thènardier again began her fake hysteria. "D'you hear that?" she sobbed to her husband. "He's gonna take her away!"

"Not our little Colette!"

"_Cosette!_" she hissed.

"Cosette!" he wailed, yanking Cosette into a suffocating hug.

"Of course, I'll pay you what you were owed from Fantine," Javert said.

"Pay?" Thènardier's head snapped up.

"Yes…the medicines she needed?"

"Medicines?"

"You wrote to Fantine saying that Cosette was very ill,"

"Oh, yes!" Madame Thènardier said. "That! Please do give us what we need; the medicines were quite expensive,"

Javert rolled his eyes again, throwing money at them. They dove to get it, releasing Cosette. She seized the opportunity and ran to the other side of the table and hid behind Javert.

"Thank you both," Javert said, standing up and leading Cosette outside. "It won't take you too long to forget,"

Javert went back to his horse, and Cosette followed.

"Are you taking me to my mummy?" Cosette said hopefully.

Javert's heart sank. "No, Cosette," He stooped down so their eyes could meet. "Now your mother is with God. You can't ever see her again,"

"I can't?" Cosette said sadly. Javert shook his head. Her eyes filled with tears. She buried her face in her hands and little sobs came out of her body. Javert sat there uncomfortably, not sure what he should do. He finally made the decision to lift her up, and she buried her face in his shoulder. Surprised by her actions, he froze and looked down at her. She was now fast asleep in her arms.

He screwed up his face in confusion. Why did this strange little girl trust him the way she did? Why was she comfortable sleeping in his arms?

Javert smiled, but then straightened himself out again and cleared his throat. He was a man of the law. Not some little girl's playmate.

He carefully mounted his horse as to not wake Cosette, made sure she was positioned so she wouldn't fall as the horse walked, and rode away from the inn. He had heard word of an orphanage in the countryside somewhere near here. But how would he arrest Valjean if he didn't wait for him?

He glanced down at the shivering child in his arms, and his actions were not in his control again and he continued to ride away.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you to all kind reviewers! More are appriciated! Enjoy!_

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Javert wanted to just turn back. He had blown the opportunity he was seeking for years, all for a child. What on earth was he thinking?

Every time his eyes fell on Cosette he would quickly look away. It was as if the girl had some kind of black magic, making him do things he never would do. But how could such an innocent child posses such powers?

Javert again shook his head. He would never quite understand it. The sooner she was put in the orphanage, the better. She would have a better place to live, and he could continue to search for Valjean.

He kept riding until they reached just the place he was looking for. It was a dreary place, but of course, all orphanages were, weren't they?

"Cosette," Javert nudged her gently. "Cosette wake up,"

Her frightened eyes fluttered open and frantically searched her surroundings.

"Come on," Javert got off his horse and lifted Cosette and placed her on the ground. "Follow me,"

Cosette obeyed the strange man. His voice was strong and very full of authority. Whenever he spoke, Cosette wanted to run and hide. But she knew that deep inside of him there was a kind man. That's why she didn't run. If he wasn't kind, would he have taken her away from the inn? Of course not. So although she quivered every time he spoke, she just wanted to be nestled close to him like she was on the horse. When he was just a plain person, not speaking like someone big and important, that's when she felt most safe.

Cosette saw that they were walking towards a large dreary building. Was that his house? Or was it another inn? Cosette's little heart started pounding nervously. She didn't want to be taken away from this man.

They reached the door and Cosette's rescuer knocked on the door and straightened himself out. The door opened to reveal a nasty looking woman. _It's another inn._ Cosette shivered and hid behind the man's legs.

"I am Inspector Javert," he said in the same tone of authority. "This child – " he stopped, not seeing Cosette. He turned around and discovered her hiding behind his legs. "This child was orphaned and needs someone to care for her. I assume this is the right place,"

"Yeah," the woman said. "Come in,"

The woman walked inside and Javert followed. Cosette stayed outside. Javert made a gesture for her to follow him and she reluctantly obeyed. The walls were plain and dirty, and the floors were even worse.

The woman sat down at a table and Javert sat across from her. Cosette stood far away from the table.

"Now how was she orphaned?" the woman asked.

"Her father abandoned her and her mother long ago, and her mother just passed away,"

"So her father is still alive?" the woman raised her eyebrows.

"I don't know," Javert said. "Now, this is where it gets complicated. Her mother told a man named Jean Valjean to care for her child. However, this man is a convict on the run. He very well might show up here and ask for her. Do not under any circumstances give her away to him,"

"Alright then," the woman said, writing something down "Now how would – "

There was suddenly a harsh pounding on the door. The woman got up and answered the door. A man dressed similarly to Javert was standing in the doorway holding the collar of a young girl.

"I caught this stealing from an innocent couple," the man said angrily. The girl was squirming to get out of his grasp. "I saw the brand on her skin and knew she was one of yours,"

"Caught again were you?" the woman said, yanking the girl inside by her arm. "When are you going to learn? You're always going to be caught, and you'll always land back here!"

"I don't care!" the girl spat. "I hate this place! I'll do anything to get out!"

"Shut your mouth!"

The girl then spit in the woman's face, which was followed promptly by a hard slap across the girl's face. The girl's fragile looking body fell to the floor and a sob escaped her lips. Cosette stood back in the corner, her eyes wide with horror.

"Get to your room you filthy brat!"

The girl quickly got up and dashed through a doorway.

"Thank you officer," the woman said with a smile.

"Welcome Madame,"

The woman closed the door and sat back down across from Javert.

"Terribly sorry. That one tries to get out nearly every week," she rolled her eyes. "Now we were just…"

The woman continued to talk, but Javert stopped listening. His eyes fell on Cosette, who was still quivering fearfully at the scene she had just witnessed. Javert instantly pictured her being the girl being caught stealing in the streets. Then being brought back here and being beaten. Then returning to the filthy, crime invested streets, picking through garbage for food. There were so many dangerous people out there…what would they do to the girl? His mind instantly went to the scene at which he'd found the girl's mother.

He looked at Cosette again. If he left her here, she would be beaten and starved until she finally got the nerve to run away, and then she'd be in the streets, and when she was old enough, she would be so desperate for money she would succumb to prostitution.

"Wait," Javert interrupted her.

"What?"

"I changed my mind…"

"What?" the woman was confused.

"I will not be leaving her here," Javert got up and reached for Cosette's hand, who took it gratefully. "We'll be leaving now,"

The woman watched, dumbfounded as the big, tall, and important Inspector held the hand of a little girl and walked out of her orphanage.

Javert took big strides away from the building, so that Cosette had to run to keep up. Cosette looked up at him and smiled. She knew he was kind. A kind man wouldn't leave her there.

Javert glanced down and saw her smiling up at him. She quickly averted her gaze and dropped her smile. Javert now couldn't help but smile himself.

"Cosette," Javert stopped walking and bent down to her level. "There isn't any need for you to be afraid of me,"

Cosette still looked terrified. Javert then realized that he was still talking as the important Inspector.

"Cosette," he said quietly, almost sweetly. "You don't have to be afraid of me,"

Cosette's miserable face lit up at the sound of his kinder voice. He allowed himself to smile at her.

"I knew you were kind," she said, and Javert thought that was the most he'd ever heard her speak.

Javert was taken aback. How could this little girl see so deeply inside of him? His heart swelled and it warmed his entire body from the inside out.

"Will you be like a papa to me?" Cosette said, her eyes lighting up again.

Once again Javert was taken aback. How could he raise this child? He didn't know the slightest thing about raising children. He didn't even know what little girls liked. What if he failed her? What if she hated living with him? Then he looked into her sparkling, hopeful diamond blue eyes, and he knew he could do everything all wrong, and this child would still love living with him.

"Yes Cosette," Javert said, and if it was possible, she lit up even more. "I'll try,"

He took her tiny hand in his again and led her to the horse. He gently placed her on the horse and mounted carefully. She positioned herself so that she was comfortably leaning against him and she fell asleep.

The horse galloped along the way to Javert's house. When they reached the house, Cosette was still fast asleep. Javert dismounted his horse and tried to nudge her awake.

"Cosette," he whispered. "Cosette, wake up, we're here,"

But she wouldn't budge. He wasn't really sure what to do. He held her from under her arms and lifted her gently off the horse. He thought he might drop her, and in a moment of panic he brought her into his chest. He held her there for a moment, marveling in how small she was. He repositioned her so that her head was resting on his shoulder and he walked towards the large house.

He walked upstairs and into the guest room and awkwardly placed her on the large bed. He realized he didn't have any nightgowns for her, or anything for her. The only thing she had were the rags that she was wearing.

He gazed at her sleeping form for a moment and then cleared his throat and walked off to his own bedroom. He couldn't allow himself to get attached. Was she to stay there forever? Certainly he couldn't care for the girl her whole life. That takes dedication, and he didn't have time for that. His dedication was to his work. Honest work, just reward. That's the way to please the Lord.

But what would he do with her? He wasn't about to leave her in an orphanage, or on the streets. Surely some wealthy family would take her in if he went around asking?

That was it then. Tomorrow he would purchase some new clothes and some toys for the girl, and then he would find someone who was willing to take her in. And once this whole "little girl" business was all settled, he could continue to search for Valjean.


End file.
